My Fear of Falling
by Mitsukai Kanashimi
Summary: Arme is suddenly separated from her best friend when he gets involved in an accident which eventually takes away all his memories. As she struggles to ward herself away from him, he on the other hand, wonders why he feels so attached to her.
1. An accidental turn of events

The repetitive ringing of my alarm clock told me I had to get up, and unfortunately, my conscience was saying the exact same thing. If there was one obvious trait of mine, it was the fact that I was a perfectionist, and it would be a crime if I actually got to school late.

And today was no ordinary school day. Oh no it wasn't... It was my first day as a High School student.

So as not to be rude to my noisy little alarm, I quickly jumped up and scrambled to the bathroom, ignoring my disarranged bed. I kept it in mind, of course, that I'll fix that later.

The water was incredibly cold – a consequence for waking up at five in the morning – and it took a while before I actually got used to it. After that, I dried myself slowly with a purple towel my mom had bought for me the day before. (Which was expected of her since she always wanted me to feel "brand new"). Anyway, I was in a major rush mode so I folded the towel across my chest and ran back to my room, still partially wet.

When I was fully dry, I pulled on a white polo with a short black skirt to match, and whirled a red ribbon around the collar. I brushed the tangles out of my short purple hair and wore a white beret with a black ribbon on its edges. This uniform was a whole lot different than the one in middle school. It looked a bit better, if not cuter. But I would have preferred it if the skirt was a little longer.

"Arme! It's time for breakfast!" My mom called out. I wouldn't want to make her wait, so I jolted downstairs and sat on my usual chair at the dining table.

"Wow! Sister looks cute!" My little sister yelled. She was as energetic as I am, and was able to talk at an early age, just like me. It wasn't surprising though, for it was because of this "inherited" trait that neighbors would usually refer to my family as a "Race of Einsteins."

"School doesn't start till seven, you know?" My dad said in a serious tone, as always. Once again, he was holding a newspaper up to his nose, never bothering the people around him. "You shouldn't be in a hurry. You might trip on the way."

"I'm not that clumsy, dad," I replied, noticing the first article on the newspaper. "That _boy_ is coming here?!" I suddenly spat.

"Who's coming?" My mom questioned.

"_HIM_!" I bursted, this time ceasing the newspaper from my father. It was impolite but he didn't seem to mind. "Oh no!"

"Is there a problem, Arme?" My dad asked. All the world seemed to have laid a burden on him once he saw me panicking.

"H-He... He must be crazy! Going to a school where fan girls would chase him all around?" I erupted, holding the newspaper at arm's length.

"Its normal, Arme. After all, that school you're going to is prestigious. I wouldn't be surprised if--"

"If some boy begins to steal your friends!"

"Arme," My mom spoke with her soft, reassuring voice. "Your friends will never leave your side. Ever."

"But mom! Elesis and Lire are my number one supporters. And I know they'll start ignoring me once they see that guy walking around in the campus!"

"Who is this boy anyway?" My father said, grabbing the newspaper. "La --"

"Its none of your business!" I fumed as I grabbed a toast and began munching on it.

"Well, he is good-looking."

"That's the problem dad!"

Probably the noise was a bit too much for my sister since she started crying before my dad could even find a proper retort for my reaction.

"Its okay, that's enough," My mother cooed, carefully lifting the little, purple-head. "Everything's alright little one. Everything's alright."

"B-But! Big sister and papa were fighting!" She yelled, shedding more and more tears. I smiled at the thought that at an early age, she could already show concern for others.

I did, however, revert back to my panic-stricken state when I realized the time.

"Six thirty?!" I screamed, hastily finishing off my toast and running off to the kitchen to brush my teeth. Then I bolted away from my home, hoping for an amazing first day of school.

All hope was lost when I got to the campus.

* * *

"What the hell is happening here?" I muttered to myself as hundreds of girls began huddling at one corner. Some where holding banners, others were simply screaming and shouting silly things, while the rest were eager to find out what was going on.

Knowing that standing on a spot won't douse my curiosity, I went over to a tall, blonde girl who, at least, didn't appear busy. "Uhm... Do you mind telling me why everyone is--"

"Arme!" The girl bursted. I was sort of embarrassed when I found out it was only Lire. I guess I didn't notice the ears. "So, are you waiting for him too?"

"Huh?" I asked, failing to comply with her words.

"_Him!_" She continued, leaving me confused. Then I remembered the article on the newspaper.

"Oh. No! Of course not!" I replied, smiling sincerely. "Where's Elesis?"

"She got into a fight a while ago. Luckily Ronan came and bribed the bullies to leave her alone."

"Bribed?"

"Ronan is rich, Arme. Its normal."

"How about Ryan?" I asked, noticing the blush that quickly formed on Lire's face. I knew she had a crush on the orange-haired tree-hugger ever since middle school.

"H-He's... Elsewhere..."

I looked around for a while after hearing her answer, and began waving when I caught sight of a familiar redhead. "Oh! Here comes Elesis!"

"I told you I was fine!" The redhead yelled. I thought she was talking to herself until I realized who was beside her.

"It sure didn't seem like it to me," Ronan smirked. Heh. The tomboy and the gentleman, together at last.

"Hey you two! Stop fighting!" Lire yelled. This was also expected, after all, she was always the voice of reason.

"Anyway, it seems like they couldn't wait," Ronan commented, looking at the horde of girls that have seemingly arranged themselves at the gate in a welcoming order. "He's supposed to be here soon. I heard his family wanted him to experience a normal life for once."

"Seems troublesome," Lire added, observing the whole place.

"Hey Li, are you looking for someone?" Elesis suddenly questioned, her lips twisting into a smile.

"Yeah. I was wondering where Ry--"

Before Lire could finish her reply, we heard a familiar voice behind us say, "Hey guys! I just finished planting another tree at the new green house behind the school. We could go look at it later."

We all smiled and nodded. After all, there was nothing good to do during lunch.

"Here it comes!" A brunette alarmingly cried out from beside the gate. It was only a few moments after her screech that we saw a white limousine enter the school grounds. Just seeing the vehicle made me feel uncomfortable.

"Arme, is something wrong?" Lire asked, looking down at me. Sometimes I wished they would stop doing that because when I start minding the huge gap between our heights, my mood meter will drop from bad to worse.

"No," I answered meekly, and diverted my attention back to the white limousine which happened to be the root of my problems.

Little by little, my energy drained, especially when I saw the silver-haired guy that emerged from the vehicle. Even before he came out, the girls' screams were already much too deafening so I decided to run inside the school.

I found sanctuary within the silent, white hallways. At least there weren't shrieking fan girls or anything related to that matter. I was safe. Or at least I felt like it...

"Yes!" I yelled to myself as I threw a fist into the air.

"If you had a problem with the noise, you could have told us, Arme," Ronan said as he gasped for air. Was I running _that_ fast?

"Well, I couldn't blame her. Those fan girls were going nuts!" Elesis told us. She looked like she had gotten out of a wrestling match judging from the messy hair and the dirty uniform.

We continued our conversation as we headed up the stairs to our next class since it looks like there won't be any school assemblies today. When we got to the room, there wasn't a student in sight, except for the teacher: a blue-haired woman with a pair of spectacles on her. She looked quite young, and she also seemed to take her job seriously.

She had heterochromia, a disease which caused one iris of hers to be blue, while the other was red. I had read about such a disease a long time ago, but I don't want to lay down some boring details.

Lessons had started when the pupils began entering the classroom. They were very tumultuous, and I never really did appreciate their presence.

Some even teased me whenever I tried answering a question, and it really ticked me off. Most of them gossiped about my family background, but fortunately, they didn't go _that_ far. A few of them knew the consequences of spreading rumors about my relatives.

Chemistry class was my favorite, after all, I was the expert when it came to solutions and such. The lessons progressed quite normally, and there was no trace of mister silver to ruin my day.

Unluckily for my friends, our scheduled meeting at the greenhouse had to be canceled since Elesis got in trouble with her math teacher. So I simply roamed around the school area, meeting people and greeting them when I got the chance. This was a habit of mine, and it had given me a good reputation in school over the past six years. I couldn't help but keep this up notably because I was a scholar, and I had to keep a good image.

Hours passed and finally, school was over, but I had to stay behind since I wanted to help Miss Mari with a few things. Yes, that's the teacher I was talking about earlier.

When I was done, I hastily ran back to my locker to get my books. I stopped dead on the tracks when I saw sir oh-so-perfect standing right beside where I wanted to be.

_Relax Arme_, I told myself. _He won't bother you. _

Those words kept repeating themselves in my mind as I shakily opened my locker and grabbed the books I needed. I tried to be silent as I left, hoping he didn't notice me.

"Hey you!"

Oh crap...

I spun around slowly, noting how tall he was compared to me. How I wish I'd gain a few more inches by now.

"You're that girl earlier. The one who ran off..."

I gulped slightly. "Y-Yeah..."

"Why?" He asked in a tone that was both harsh and cold.

"I didn't like the screaming. And the fan girls. And I was afraid of..." I trailed off.

"You were afraid of me?" He continued. Man was I in love with his eyes...

_No Arme! Snap out of it!_ My conscience yelled, and I quickly shook the thought off. "NO!"

"Then what were you afraid of?"

"I was afraid of..."

I knew I didn't have the answer to that question, but I couldn't do anything about it. He was too curious, and scary. I wanted to run away as fast as I can, and so I did...

"Hey you haven't answered my question!" He called out from behind. His voice made me fully aware of the footsteps that were getting closer... And closer... And closer.

I wasn't ready for the staircase though...


	2. Results of having no sense of awareness

I tried to station myself to (hopefully) minimize the risk of getting a broken neck, and luckily, it worked. I was fully stabilized when I my feet touched the ground... Err... Well, not thoroughly stabilized. At least I ended up with a mere sprain. Visualizing myself in a pool of blood would be a little too... Mind-boggling?

Despite the needle-like pain that was penetrating my ankle, I managed to hop away from Mister silver (Why do I call him that anyway?). I probably looked like a freak on the side-walk. It was quite embarrassing, and I was fully aware of the number of eyes that were boring straight through me. Crap. What a rotten day.

When I got to my home, my mother was completely panic-stricken. She rushed me to the hospital within seconds. SECONDS I'M TELLING YOU! She even told the doctor to take an x-ray photo of my leg, just to be sure. Hmph. Talk about over-protective.

"Are you sure you don't feel weird, Arme?" My mom asked me in a hush.

"Mom, I'm fine," I whispered to her, eying the ice bag that was mounted on my foot. "Its just a sprain..."

"What happened to you in school? Did someone bully you?" She questioned. Please tell me she's not going to hire a lawyer. Err... On second thoughts, get a judge and send mister silver to jail.

"No." And my mind just reverted back to its initial state...

"Please Arme, you could tell me anything. Is something bothering you? Things like these don't happen on their own." Is she talking about my sprain, or a car accident across the road?

"Mom, just stop worrying and take me home. I don't want to stay in a hospital ward," I said, looking around. Aside from the green curtains, everything was white. Plain white... What a disgusting color. Well, the best part was that she actually listened to me. However, she kept stopping the car every once in a while to check on my leg (and the ice bag...)

She also assisted me all the way up to my room and helped me on my bed.

"I wouldn't mind if you don't go to school tomorrow," She informed as she propped herself down beside me.

"Mom, that's going a bit too far... If I don't see Elesis and Lire, I'll end up feeling worse," I told her. Though I _would_ skip school just to avoid _him._

"Oh. By the way, your father told me about that guy who recently--"

"I don't want to hear anything about him..."

"Why not? He used to be--"

"Mom... Don't remind me... Please?" I said, trying to look all depressed. I don't want to think about a past that's long been gone.

"But he was..."

"Don't."

"Okay Arme. If you'd like it that way then... I'm with you. But remember one thing. You can't simply forget someone who's played an important role in your life," she said in an intimate manner. She smiled before leaving me in my room, content with what she had told me...

* * *

"Elesis! Lire!" I called out, leaping into the scene. Forget about the sprained ankle. This is school! And there's no reason to look weak.

"Wow. That was a fast recovery. Your mom told me you broke your leg yesterday," Lire said. As usual, she would unawaringly grab the attention of people around by looking like a model.

"Its only a sprain!" I retorted, gleefully.

I didn't know Elesis was behind me at that moment since she caught me in another one of her lethal choke-holds. "That's what you get for being too clumsy!"

"Elesis, she's turning blue! Let her go!" Ronan said to the redhead. Finally! A chance to breathe!

"Well, speak for the devil. The girls are going insane again!" Ryan told us while holding up a sign that said, "Be eco-friendly!"

"As expected from an environmentalist!" Lire said, reaching up to pat the orange-haired boy on the head. I smiled when I caught the both of them blushing. They make a great couple!

But my happiness broke down when the fanatics began screaming at the top of their lungs. Noisy warfreaks...

"I'm going inside," I informed Lire before leaving the area. It didn't take long before I noticed that the shouts and wails of the girls seemed to follow me. Turning around, I saw mister silver followed by his fans.

"You!" He pointed at me, and in the blink of an eye, I was surrounded by his stinking body guards. To make things a lot more uncomfortable, he was inches away from me. "You wouldn't get away from me this time..." He muttered.


	3. The consequences of being sentimental

I was more than surprised at how fast this guy works. I mean, everything was happening abruptly and I really hated the fact that I was garnering too much attention. The fan girls were still screaming too. Damn them all...

"Who are you?" He asked. That simple question seemed to hit me in the stomach. I knew for a long time that he doesn't remember a single thing about me. It was a fact which caused me great pain. Confusion... Heartaches... Damn. I refused to remember it; that eventful day... And right now, all the details came rushing back to me.

_"Are you sure you're gonna leave? Would you be coming back?"_

_ "Relax Arme! Of course I'll come back! Its only a matter of days. Frankfurt isn't in another galaxy, y'know?!" A warm smile._

_ "Y-Yeah. But... What if something bad happens to you?" A grimace._

_"Don't worry... I'll be back before you know it!"_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise!"_

A plane crash... A sole survivor... And a broken promise... Who would even dare to go through these kinds of things? Life is so unfair...

"Hello? Did you even hear what I just said?" He asked. The shrillness of his voice bothered me. It seemingly reminded me that my friend was long gone, and that he was never coming back. I was more focused on my thoughts that I didn't even realize he was tightening his grip on my arm. "I was asking you a--"

"Let go of me!" I shrieked, squirming out of his grasp and walking away. As if by instinct, I turned around and added, "Leave me alone! Don't you ever come close to me! I don't know who you are! I have nothing against you! Now go away!"

After that, I ran as fast as I can, jolting to a stop when I reached the room where history was scheduled to begin in two minutes. Panting, I noticed the curious stares I got from Elesis, Ryan and Lire. I chose to sit beside the Blondie, after all, I didn't want to be harassed by Elesis. I tried to calm myself a bit and listen to the lesson. The teacher was a rather attractive, young and dark-haired man. Judging from the looks of it, most of the girls in class had set their eyes on him.

We also decided to set our foot on the greenhouse today, since we were permitted to do so by Miss Mari, and of course Ryan's family. They were the ones who installed the place in school anyway and it would be rude for the principal to keep us away from it.

"So here we are!" Ryan declared as he unlocked the glass door. I marveled at the number of flowers and trees arranged beautifully in the area. It even had a huge fountain in the middle, and a statue of a huge lion guarding the very back. All of which were visible from the outside except for the smaller plants.

"Wow Ryan. I must say I'm very impressed." Lire said, smiling as she touched a white flower which was blossoming from a half-grown tree.

"That's a sacred garlic pear. My mom loves these plants, especially the flowers," Ryan explained while leading us farther into the greenhouse. The statue of the lion seemed to grow bigger as we drew closer. If it had the ability to talk, it might be calling me a shrimp by now...

"And this--" Ryan said, pointing at the figurine. "--Was donated by a very influential family. My parents told me it costs billions."

Observing the huge sculpture a bit more, I noticed it was made of varnished marble, and there were even a pair of emeralds for its eyes. No wonder it was that expensive.

We looked around for a few minutes or so before walking back to the classroom.

"That was awesome, Ryan!" I squealed as I threw my hands in the air while jumping up. "I envy you guys..."

"There's no reason to be jealous, Arme," Lire told me. "We're just people..."

"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if you reach our stage soon," Ronan said, patting me on the head. "By the way. That weird guy... What was his name again? La--"

"DON'T SAY IT!" I yelled. Damn. That was a bad time to lose all my self-control.

"Err... Arme, are you alright?" Elesis told me as she tapped me on the head twice. "Somethings gotten into you lately. Are you keeping secrets from us?"

"N-No," I stammered. Oh crap. "I-Its j-just that..."

"That... What?" Lire added.

"I-Its..." I was practically going to break down and cry, but I didn't want that to happen in front of the others. So, as usual, I scampered away, crying on my sleeve. I had gotten as far away from the others as possible when I nearly tripped on a rock and bumped into someone.

"What the?!" The person screeched.

"S-Sorry. I-I w-wasn't looking," I said as I wiped away my tears. Looking up, I recognized that "someone" as mister silver. Great. And to think my day couldn't get any worse... "S-Sorry again." I muttered, bowing politely before deciding to run off.

"Wait you!" He yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me back to him. "Why do I get the feeling that I know you from somewhere?"

"Is that all you're gonna ask me?" I said, glaring. "You're wasting my time..."

"Time _is_ meant to be wasted," he told me, smirking.

"Pretty much... Yeah," I retorted, my glare wearing off completely. "Now let me go. I'm late for my next class."

"Who said you'd be going anywhere?" He muttered enticingly against my ear. "You haven't answered my question."

"Oh yeah? What question? And once you're done asking, let me go," I said, sharply.

He sighed. "Who are you?"

Damn. "No one you need to know. Now let me go. I warned you earlier to--"

Before I could even sneak away from mister silver, I heard someone yell, "Hey Lass! I need--"

Looking towards the source, I saw a pale-skinned, red-eyed blondie. "Who's that?" She asked, pointing at me.

"None of your concern, Kaze," Lass replied, pulling me closer to him as if I actually needed protection.

"Oh wait... Come to think of it, I somehow recognize you," She said, observing me from head to toe. "Ah-hah! You're that scholar! Wow! And...Uh... You think you could actually touch my stepbrother without going through me first? How filthy..."

Great. A bully.

Trying to pry out of Lass' hold, I began,"For your information I--"

"You what?" The girl said, raising a brow.

"I..." Darn. And to think I was in the middle of a cat fight.

"Hmph. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid. Stupid and filthy."

"Kaze!" Lass yelled, hugging me as if he were my guardian. "If you're going to continue teasing her--"

"She's not that girl you've been dreaming about Lass!" Kaze yelled before Lass could even complete his sentence. Huh?

"Why bring that topic if she's not the one?" Lass retorted, pressing me against him, automatically making me feel awkward, yet a little happy in a strange kind of way. "It all fits Kaze! Purple hair, purple eyes, short stature? How could she not--"

"She's. Not. The. One" Kaze emphasized. Why did I even feel like I wanted to protest? I'm not supposed to be here in the first place...

"There's one way to prove that," He told her, reaching out for my chin.

His hand was very cold, and it was noticeable that he was leaning closer. "W-Wait. What are you gonna..."

I was fully aware that he was doing an awful job at ignoring his sister's cries of protests, but he also didn't stop leaning in to me...

"Arme! We were worried about you!" A familiar voice called out, breaking the silence I had "accidentally" forged in my mind. Lire?

"Lire!" I yelled, pushing Lass away and running towards her. Thank goodness...

"Kaze! Have you been harassing people again?" Elesis said as she twisted her knuckles. "Luckily, I'm in the mood for a fight..."

My attention was completely consumed by Elesis and her consideration for me that I didn't notice Lass's shadow looming beside me.

"I hope you don't mind if I take your little friend here," Lass announced, looking at every single person in front of him as he lifted me up. "After all... She belongs to me..."


	4. A little something to wreck the day

I was fully aware of my friends' worried glances, but it was as if for that moment, nothing in the world mattered. In fact, I felt happy for reasons I didn't even know. However, I still needed to free myself from _him_. He was practically holding me too tightly. I struggled a bit, though that only made him hold me tighter.

"Put me down," I demanded, tilting my head up a little. His face was a lot closer than I had expected and I was forced to look away instantly.

"If I do that, you'll get hurt," he retorted, loosening his grip a bit when I tried to push him away. "I don't want any scratches on my doll."

"You're starting to sound gay, now put me down," I said as I tried to stay calm for a moment. I shot Elesis a pleading look and she shrugged in return, indicating she didn't know what to do to help me out of my predicament.

I grimaced and whispered, "You'll have to give up soon."

"Who said anything about giving up?" He chuckled and I gave him a light punch on the chin. He winced but he didn't let go of me. Instead, he turned around and ran off, ignoring his sister's cries of disapproval. I, on the other hand, was surprised that neither one of my so-called "allies" dared to assist me. Hopefully that didn't mean as long as I was with _him_, I was alone.

He kept on running till we were at the back of one of the school buildings. It wasn't until then that I heard a high-pitched cry. "HEY LASS!"

Turning my head, I saw a pink-haired girl and a red-headed boy. Both seemed friendly --

"Who's that Lassy? A friend? Hey! Wanna dance later? I'll teach you if you don't know how!"

--And hyper.

"Hands off Amy. She's mine," Lass said, pulling me against him.

"There's no need to be possessive, moron! Look! You're scaring her!" The pink-haired girl stated, reaching out and prying me out of Lass' hold. I lowered my head in disappointment when I found out that even she was taller than me.

"Aww... You're so cute! What's your name?" She blurted without missing a breath. I didn't even blink before she began pinching my cheeks. "How old are you anyway? Eleven? Twelve?"

"F-Fifteen," I managed to say. Upon hearing this she released me almost immediately and bowed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were older than me," She said with utter respect.

"T-That's okay. It isn't the first time that has happened," I explained, massaging my now-sore cheeks. "I'm running late for class."

"Don't worry. As long as you're with us, classes won't be a bother," The red-headed boy beside her informed.

"But... I'm in trouble with my parents if--"

"Like I said, don't worry," He interrupted, looking towards a room on the third floor of the building. Sure enough, my math teacher (don't ask for his name since it's really hard to pronounce) was waving at us. The redhead added, "We saw you guys a while ago, so we figured you needed some extra time."

"I usually do most of the job," Amy said, twirling around. I didn't really know what she meant by "job" until she continued, "I easily bribe the teachers with my charms."

"You're a criminal," I commented, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"That's why I'm lucky... To have someone like Jin around," She suddenly stated, her gaze dropping as she grabbed the redheaded boy's arm. "Sometimes, I couldn't control myself. I end up trying to get the attention of everyone. Last time that happened, I ruined my very own classroom. My parents had to pay for the mess. Boy did they scold me back then."

"Enough with the boring details Amy," Lass suddenly said with a yawn as lifted me up again.

"You should count yourself lucky too, Arme," Amy stated with a grin. "There are boys out there who are far more dangerous than Lass."

"Put me down!" I yelled, struggling even more than I did earlier. "The last thing I want to happen is to be carried by you again."

"You should at least trust him. That way he'd be more careful!" Amy suggested, her grin widening.

"The way you say it, you make it seem like he's a horse," I commented.

"Oh wait! Your name?" Amy questioned with obvious curiosity.

"Arme!" I shouted back, still trying to pry off Lass' hold.

"I'm looking forward to our next meeting," Amy cried out just before Lass began running.

* * *

Even though I didn't like how fast he was zooming, I was amazed that Lass could run pretty fast for a human, and the fact that he was the one carrying me made me feel little bit more comfortable. I decided to close my eyes for a moment and feel the wind. It was soothing, of course, and it reminded me that there's nothing wrong as long as my parents weren't around.

"Mommy! Mommy! Isn't that my big sister?"

I'm definitely in a big dose of trouble...

"Arme? Arme! Are you alright?"

I tried to keep my eyes closed as I sensed my mother's shadow looming over me.

"She's alright ma'am. I was just strolling around with her a moment ago." I don't think "stroll" would be a proper word to use.

Opening my eyes, I saw my little sister, hands outstretched towards me, and my mother wearing a grimace.

"Why the long face mom?" I asked worriedly while shoving myself off Lass. Great. Even my mother didn't seem to mind that I was with him. On the other hand, the heavy frown she was wearing gave me a hint that she wasn't in the mood to be angry with me.

"We've got bad news, Arme."

She asked Lass to walk away before telling me _everything_. Every single detail; details that threatened to rip me apart piece by piece. I listened to my mother's sobs as she narrated my father's death due to a car accident while I was in school, at the greenhouse with Elesis and the others.

And for a moment, the world fell completely silent.


	5. Unanswered questions and Raising doubts

The three weeks that followed the funeral were miserable, but the faster the time flew, the faster my mom and I had gotten over my dad's death. He must be in a better place by now… I think. In any case, due to the fact that we had lost a family member, my mom had gotten a lot more protective of me. Sometimes, she would brag about me leaving the house alone. She even told Elesis and Lire to walk with me on their way to school since their houses were only a few blocks away from mine. I didn't want to worry much about that subject, especially because it was Friday today. I had enough time to do what I want, and I didn't want to waste it just by stressing myself out.

I looked out my bedroom window; gazing at the sun which was slowly setting behind an array of houses. I loved sunsets, though I did get a better view of them back when I was young. Letting out a soft sigh, I reached out for an album on the bookshelf located alongside my "study table," but then again, I wasn't in the mood to look at a bunch of pictures.

When I heard a car pull up just in front of our yard, and our doorbell ringing shortly afterwards, I took it as my obligation to see who it was because my mom was out looking for a job, and my sister had insisted on coming with her, so I was alone till probably eight o'clock.

I looked out my bedroom window to see who it was, or at least what the car looked like, but the small bush near the gate concealed most of the vehicle. All I could see were the tail lights, and a tint of luminous black. I swallowed hard before hiding myself behind the purple curtains, allowing myself to take a small peek outside. The doorbell rang again and again before a moment of silence issued. A dark-haired man in a black tuxedo then made his way back to the car. When I knew it was safe, I slid out of my hiding place.

I exhaled heavily before looking out the window once more. I saw a trace of silver making its way to the front yard, automatically gluing me to the place I was standing. Sapphire eyes then looked up to where I was, and I could tell the boy who was currently standing there was wearing a smirk.

"I knew you were here," he mouthed to me causing me to back away slowly till I reached the edge of my bed and fell on it. I felt a bit embarrassed for being so careless, though that was blown away when I heard the doorbell ring again. Taking in the much needed courage I needed, I poked my head out my bedroom window and yelled, "GO AWAY!"

"I don't want to," a voice said from behind me, making me freeze on the spot. "I've been planning to take you somewhere for weeks. The last attempt was a complete failure."

I remembered the time when I almost had to ditch classes because of him, but then I did have to skip the remaining school hours for reasons I didn't want to talk about ever again. I shook the memory off when I felt him scooping me up.

"H-How did you get in here?" I asked, staring daggers at him for barging into my home without permission.

"It's a secret," he muttered before running down the staircase with me in tow and stuffing me into his car which was too darn shiny for my liking. I dared not look at him when he sat beside me, and all I could do was to stare at my fingers as the car began to move.

"W-where are you taking me?" I inquired shyly, still trying not to look directly at him.

"Someplace… special," he replied, his tone hinting a bit of doubt. "It's not too far so don't worry."

"I'm always worried when I'm with you," I muttered to myself before adding, "After taking me there, you'll have to stop bugging me, okay?"

"No," he retorted a little too soon, making me cringe a little.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I'm trying to solve a puzzle, and I can't do so without the pieces," he said. "You're the first and most special piece of that puzzle."

I could tell without looking at my own reflection that I was blushing ten shades of red by now. "What makes you so sure?"

"Don't ask," he said, causing me to look over at him, only to see him frowning. I smiled. I guess he still hated it when people didn't trust him at all.

"We're here," he said as he shifted out of the car and offered his hand to me. "Come on."

The fact that I didn't even know the car had stopped made most of my blood rush all the way up to my cheeks. Hesitantly, I laid my own hand on his palm and gasped when he held it a little tightly and pulled me out of the vehicle all too suddenly.

"You okay?" he asked. I could practically feel his voice vibrating in his chest. Knowing this was way too embarrassing for me; I pushed myself away from him and nodded in reply to his question. I gasped when he pulled me back to my initial position.

"Close your eyes," he said. I did what I was told and before I knew it, I could feel my legs swaying with him as he began to walk.

"Okay. _Now_ you could open them," he told me. When I did, I stared open-mouthed at the scene in front of me. It was the exact same sunset I saw back when I was a kid…

We were currently standing on a cliff which had a great view of the horizon. The sea was a gleaming bluish-gray color and a dark-orange where the sun met it. The sky, on the other hand, was a mixture of orange, pink and purple. The sun rays seeped through a few gigantic clouds which loomed close to the ocean.

"I used to come here with somebody," the boy behind me said. "I swear that person was wearing the same expression you have right now."

I frowned. "You know what? Take me home. I've had enough."

"Not until you tell me who you are," he said, a tone of seriousness taking over his voice.

"I'm Arme and I refuse to infatuate with a stranger like you," I retorted.

"You know very well that I'm not a stranger. Arme, you know _very well_ who I am. Please Arme, tell me," he said, despairingly.

"I can't Lass. I don't know who y-"

I was forced to cut myself off when a pair of hands wrapped themselves around me, the head of my captor pressing softly against my shoulder. "Say my name again."

"Lass, let me go. Please," I said, and I was very upset when he didn't. "You and I are not supposed to be here. I-"

"Why do you have to be so selfish?" he told me, his grip slowly loosening. "I want to remember everything, Arme. Don't keep those memories to yourself. I know they're mine too."

I tried to open my mouth to say at least one word, but I couldn't find a proper one to begin with.

"Arme," Lass started, "I know you used to play a big role in my life. What's keeping you from telling me this yourself?"

"I… S-Stop questioning me," I demanded, watching the sun vanish completely beneath the sea. Noticing that his grip had loosened greatly, I took this as a chance to escape. I ran as fast as I can back to my home, seeking and finding refuge behind closed doors.


End file.
